As Nashville continues to grow at a record rate, a neighboring city is taking more of a slow and steady approach when it comes to new development.
Brentwood has still seen its share of changes in the last few months. The Hill Center Brentwood at Franklin Road and Maryland Way is under construction. The $211 million, 17 acre development will bring more office space, retail and restaurants to the area. Also, City Place along Franklin Road was recently completed bringing new shops and restaurants, as well.
City Manager Kirk Bednar said since only 5 percent of the city is zoned for commercial development, no new projects are in the works. There may be redevelopment on existing land, but space is running out for new projects.
He said the city’s philosophy has remained the same since it was incorporated: maintain low density and residential areas.
“It’s the same philosophy the city was founded on 50 years ago,” said Kirk Bednar. “We just updated our long range plan and went through citizen surveys over the last couple of years. The ideas weren’t that different than they were before.”
Bednar also said there are no plans to add more multi-family residential units in the city. Tapestry, a 393 unit condo complex, was the only one approved in recent years, and was met with mixed reviews from residents.
The city has no plans to change zoning in residential areas, and will continue to preserve historic areas and green space.
Patti Brown has watched the city change from the window of her business Hair Expressions. She welcomes the new additions.
“It was time for Brentwood to have a facelift,” said Brown. “We love seeing all the new buildings go up. We are excited for everything to get opened.”
